how do you motivate a kid to go on the potty who just has no desire to???

all week I have been trying with DS...he will flat out tell me NO (terrible 3's are so fun!) we have tried candy as an immediate reward, putting him in undies for the day, pull ups and asking him every half hour or so....not sure what other effective ways we can do this. I was thinking of a star chart type thing, but not even sure if that will work. He just doesn't seem motivated, and IMO, he is capable of it, bc he'll do it consistently sometimes, then others not. I am so frustrated bc he is 3 years old and I have another baby due in March and the thought of 2 in diapers is not appealing in the least bit.

Re: how do you motivate a kid to go on the potty who just has no desire to???

Search my name, you'll find MANY similar posts like this.

My DD just turned 3.5 years last week. I've posted dozens of times how she refuses to go but knows the WHOLE process. SOme people said "it will just click one day" and I seriously didn't believe them....but it did literally just click one day last week, and she hasn't turned back....peeing AND pooping on the potty all the time now (just a diaper for bed, and we're still struggling with peeing in public bathrooms).

It WILL happen, just keep trying!

Re: how do you motivate a kid to go on the potty who just has no desire to???

Maybe he isn't 100% ready to be fully potty trained. Honestly, I would leave it alone all together and maybe try again in a few weeks or days. If you keep pushing him when he doesn't want to do it you're going to create a negative association with going to the bathroom and you're going to make it worse on both him and you.

Re: how do you motivate a kid to go on the potty who just has no desire to???

Re: how do you motivate a kid to go on the potty who just has no desire to???

I just picked up an Elmo book about the potty, comes with some reward chart, too...

it even talks/makes sounds

maybe it would help?

Re: how do you motivate a kid to go on the potty who just has no desire to???

Maybe make a big deal about it when you and DH go on the potty? Start a sticker chart for yourself?

At school DS got 1 sticker for trying and 2 for going.

DS also wanted big boy underwear in the worst way so we got them so he could see them but not use them.

We also sang the pee-pee on the potty song and danced around like fools when DS went.

Maybe take him to the store to pick out his own seat?

DS also picked out most of his potty prizes ($1-2 limit) so he knew what he was working for.

If you google potty training charts you can find some with frogs/police that didn't have that many spots to fill before they got a prize.

I think its all about bribery...DS loved stickers and anything you told him that was "special".

Good Luck!!!

Re: how do you motivate a kid to go on the potty who just has no desire to???

At 4.5, during the Christmas break, DD finally "clicked". She was refusing to go consistently, even though we knew she was able to for years. Unfortunately, you can't force them. She has ultimate control over her bladder, so if she doesn't want to go on the potty, there's no amount of coaxing, bribing, rewarding, etc. that you can do to change their minds.

Re: how do you motivate a kid to go on the potty who just has no desire to???

We got a book called How to Potty Train your Monster, and he loved that book. That also helped motivate him because we read it ever night!

Re: how do you motivate a kid to go on the potty who just has no desire to???

It was a click for DS#1 at 3.5

I'm hoping the same for #2 as 3.5 approaches this month! We haven't pushed him b/c he gets so upset at the mention of the potty. Although when my sister comes over, he will do it for her...If only she could live here!

Re: how do you motivate a kid to go on the potty who just has no desire to???

Has he shown signs that he is interested at all? Our motivation was to use the one item DS loved - cars. We brought a huge tower from BJ's (80 cars or something like that) for $20. We put it in a place he would see it every time and told him he got one for #1 and 2 cars for #2. He mastered #1 in a day. #2 took a week. We did this in Oct and he will be 3 in Feb. We had DD in Nov and there has been no regression - knock on wood.

Re: how do you motivate a kid to go on the potty who just has no desire to???

Go to teh dollar store and Target and michaels and just get a bunch of small rewards. DS was more into picking a special surprise than the candy. Although he did enjoy both.

I do agree it does just click .one day though. We also did bear bottom for the first 2 days not sure if you have tried that. We also did a potty in the living room for teh first day or 2 then we moved that potty to the bathroom and then by day 5 he wanted to just use the regular potty!

Pooping we have major issues with (witholding causing constipaton) but DS has been pee pee trained for 2 months now.

ETA: we also went to the library and took out Go Potty Go DVD. DS watched it alot leading up to potty training and I told him once the diapers ran out he had to go on the potty. Then one day the diapers 'disappeared"!

Message edited 1/3/2011 8:42:48 AM.

Re: how do you motivate a kid to go on the potty who just has no desire to???

We've been watching the Potty Power DVD and it seems to be working. DD is 2 1/2 and said she had to go potty and peed on the potty Thursday night. She has yet to do it again though, but she keeps asking to watch the video. We also have a variety of books too.

We tried candy as a reward and that did not work for us. We have stickers and the chart and she was happy when she got a sticker on the chart, so we're going to keep using that too!